


in the eye of a hurricane (there is quiet)

by cinnamonlipstick



Series: todos somos seres humanos (we are all human beings) [1]
Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Peter Parker, I revived Jarvis even tho it's unrealistic sooo woot, Immigration & Emigration, POC Peter Parker, Past Child Abuse, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Poor Peter Parker, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, RIP, Thor Is a Good Bro, Tony Stark Has A Heart, a lotta characters aren't in this fic cuz im lazy lmao sorry, avengers are kinda mean at first, basically glossing over the events and all that follows of CA:CW, but like now he has a beard so he is a buttery slice of TOAST, im sorry for this tagging, okay i admit it this fic glosses over a ton of stuff SORRY, okay sorry this is rlly crappy writing but i promise the intentions are GOOD, steve is a slice of stale white bread
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-04 01:42:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12760536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinnamonlipstick/pseuds/cinnamonlipstick
Summary: Peter Parker is not your typical teenager. He’s gone through thick and thin with his secret identity-Spider Man- the pride of New York. He’s an Avenger now, and with the team tense after the civil war, the so called “team” is crumbling.Nonetheless, that’s not just why Peter isn’t your typical teen. No, if only it were that simple. Peter Parker has another identity, that no one but his Aunt May knows. not even his closest mentor, Tony Stark. Not his team, the Avengers. Not even his closest friends, MJ and Ned. This is a secret that he has sworn to never tell anyone.Peter Parker is an immigrant. An orphan, with a past veiled with mystery and with a tragic back story. Peter Parker does not belong in America, as he is reminded every single day on the news when he hears threats of deportation for the “illegal” immigrants. Peter Parker is scared. So when his “team”, the Avengers, consult him for an international mission to his origin in Mexico- yeah he’s terrified. But Hydra has been reignited, and someone’s gotta save the world..





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment or leave kudos because I'm greedy lol. Tell me if you like it, hate it, suggestions, compliments, complaints, anything! This is my first fic so please be friendly. Lemme know if i should continue this.

Peter was tired. His limbs ached with fatigue, the base of his head vehemently pulsing into a soon to be migraine. His disheveled mask clung to his face, perspiration sticky and uncomfortable. Peter swung carelessly home, webs thwipping onto nearest apartments as he departed back to the Avengers Tower. Anxiety violated his mind, thoughts increasing by the second as worry and fear assaulted his being. CIty lights twinkled in the distance, the smell of smoke overwhelmed his senses, and suddenly the honking of the horns blocks away amplified significantly.

His breaths quickened, heart racing as his anxiety worsened. His heart beated. thump. thump. thu-thump.

“ _Breathe, Peter. Respira. Estoy bien, estoy bien_.” Peter murmured to himself, under his breath.

He stopped for a moment and counted his breaths, slowly drawing in and out his breaths.

“Ok, no more Spanish. New York accent-let’s go.” He rolled his eyes at himself. “I am talking to no one, next thing I know, I’ll become Deadpool.”

Peter sighed in exasperation, swinging one last time before he reached the 16th floor window of the “Avengers Tower”- the family room.

He stuck to the window and tapped his knuckles on the glass, smirking as his team whipped around in surprise in the midst of a seemingly heated discussion (except for Nat and Clint, because they’re superspies and all- duh).

Peter smiled at them sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders as Tony let him in. Peter frowned at Tony’s unkempt appearance, as he is adorned with deep worry lines and bags under his eyes.

“Hey Mr. Stark..”

“Don’t “hey Mr.Stark” me Mr. “I get back from patrol at 2am” without letting me know.” Tony’s eyebrows furrowed as his tone grew more tight.

Peter grimaced, “Yeah, I kinda lost track of time?”.

Tony gazed at him incredulously.

“Lost track of time, my ass.” Tony ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “You are giving me gray hair prematurely kid!”  
“If your Aunt May found out about this, she would murder me and you, Peter. Is that really what you want, Underoos?”

Peter paled at the thought of it, but shrugged with indifference. “Well, Aunt May isn’t here right now, is she?”

Tony shot him a look.

“I swear to Jarvis, you, Peter Parker, will be the death of me one day. And Aunt May will be back from her family trip in two months anyways!”

The British voice of Jarvis 2.0 erupted from the loud system, effectively startling them both.

“Actually, Sir, if I may, May Parker will not be back for 2 months and 6 days, not 2 months- as for Peter has been staying here for 1 month and 1 day. Also, I would ill advise against telling her about this, for both of your sakes sir and young sir.”

They both laughed at Jarvis, the previous conflict simmering down with their shared mirth.

Steve cleared his throat. Both Peter and Tony turned him, expectantly.

“What, Rogers?” Peter winced at the cold tone of Tony; things were still tense between them since the “civil war” between them. Rifts were caused, leaving the whole team in shambles.

Steve clenched his teeth and averted his eyes towards Peter. Peter awkwardly shifted his weight to one side under his gaze. He offered a smile, trying to lighten the air.

It worked, as Steve’s tense stature slackened, his gaze softened.

“Sorry, Sta-Tony, it’s just we need to further progress in our discussion here.” His voice tightened, evident with indignation.

“Well I’m talking to Underoos right now, can we talk it about it later?” Tony rubbed his temples.

Steve’s jaw set once again- “Well, maybe, this team discussion is a pressing matter.”

“Oh, so Peter’s not a part of this team?” Tony stepped towards Steve.

“Peter is just a child. He doesn’t belong here.” Peter swallowed as Steve muttered under his breath, the second part barely discernible, but the team heard it.

Peter’s eyes widened, his breathing grew quicker. He looked at the rest of his team, Natasha, Clint, Thor. They winced as well, but none seemed to offer much help. God, he wished Dr.Banner was here- the only one who seemed to somewhat like him and not just _tolerate_ him.

Tony inhaled deeply. “What did you just say to my kid?”

Steve stopped, realizing his words, trying to backtrack. “Uh, Peter, I-I didn’t mean that, it’s just- well- you see”

Peter, not wanted to provoke the conflict, muttered back. “Oh, uh, it’s fine, don’t worry about it. I’ll just, uh, be in my room, it sounds like you guys have an important conversation to discuss.”

Peter awkwardly grimaced, and paced to his room. He closed the door promptly and sat on the floor, head in his hands.

Steve’s voice rang in his ears. His eyes glazed over with tears.

_he doesn’t belong here. he doesn’t belong here. he doesn’t belong here._

Peter wished these words didn’t hit him as hard as they were, he wished they didn’t resonate with him that much. He knew Steve was just worried for him, thinking he was too innocent for the struggles of being an Avenger.

When Peter was originally approached by Tony to become an Avenger, needless to say, he was adamant. I mean, Peter is only 16 years old and to become an Avenger? There was no way.

Mr. Stark convinced him soon enough though, Peter thought back.

He remembered when Tony came to him one night in a panic-stricken state, plagued by nightmares, how Tony shook his shoulders and deliriously warned him something big was coming. Something bad, something alien. How Tony told him no one believed in him, how he needed Peter.

No one else believed Tony but Peter. Not his best friend, Rhodey, not Pepper- certainly not the Avengers.

Thus, the newest Avenger, Spider-Man, emerged. While his identity still stayed private, and his Aunt found out (not the way he would’ve liked it, admittedly), being an Avenger and having that responsibility along with his others was hard.

The Avengers tolerated him, but didn’t like him. He could tell. Tony and Steve’s friendship was strained after the accords, placing the pressure upon Peter and the rest of the team. Everyone was knee-deep in tension. 

Dr. Banner was fond of Peter, and his eager self. Peter smiled. He longed for a friend here besides Tony. But Bruce was across the world, working to contain the Hulk (something about Ragnarok and Thor? Peter wasn't really listening then). 

Natasha tolerated him, observing him from the shadows. She was so quiet around him, that Peter suspected she knew he had a secret. He was sure she didn’t know though, at least, he hopes. When she did talk to him, she spoke in either a condescending tone, or a teasing one. Nothing else.. 

Peter liked Thor, but he wasn’t sure if it was mutual. They don’t talk much, as Thor was often deep in thought or in the middle of a profound discussion or story-telling. Peter admired him, in a way. He was so often under-estimated, even though he was the one that is thousands of years old, with the wisdom he acquired in those years. 

Peter didn’t know what Clint thought about him, he suspected he reminded Clint too much of Pietro, who had died in vain for Clint. Clint usually avoids him, with shifty eyes and a hesitance only few people obtain in their lives. He sees how Clint often stares at him though, lost in thought. Peter can't blame him really. 

Vision and Wanda were his friends as well, but they were on vacation together. Peter thought they were cute and deserved a break, but he missed their company. At the same time, remorsefully, though he would never admit it, Peter was somewhat relieved that Wanda wasn’t there to further aggravate the broken team. He wasn't sure what happened between Mr.Stark and Wanda, but it certainly caused some rifts. 

Sam Wilson, when he was here, wasn’t too fond of Peter. Peter suspected his pride was hurt when Peter beat him in the civil war (Peter still finds it funny, sorry Wilson).

Rhodey, Peter silently admired, he's gone through a lot. He likes Rhodey, and Peter _thinks_ it’s mutual, but he doesn’t see him much due to his recovering from the civil war and the issues regarding it.

And Bucky, well, Peter had no idea where he was, he hasn’t seen him since Berlin. He overheard Tony and Steve arguing about Cryo or something of the sort. In Wakanda, was it?

It’s okay though, Peter understands why the Avengers don’t like him. They just don’t understand. They think he’s privileged and ignorant, but _they don’t understand_.

They don’t see the suspicious looks grocery store or retail workers shoot him when he’s in his civilian clothes. Or how strangers often ask him questions like “I love Mexican food, Taco Bell is the best!” or “Do you speak English? _Hola?_ ” with butchered accents and creased expressions.

He lives in a world where people assume, and make unjustified choices based off of these biases.

Steve thought he was too young, too naive and innocent. If only he knew, how most of Peter was a facade.

How Peter often shoots up in the night time, sweat beaded to his forehead and chest heaving, and for a few fleeting moments, thinks his name is “Pedro Perez” and not “Peter Parker”- thinks he’s back in his Abuela’s room, listening to her softly singing Spanish.

How Peter’s true parents, Emilio and María, perished in the tragic hurricane that obliterated his rural village.

How Peter’s town raised money for him, saw hope and innocence in him, how they smuggled him onto a ship, sending him to America.

How he came with nothing, learnt English within weeks and was sent to CPS, how he told people he lived in New York and was “homeless”, and how he cycled through a cycle of deadbeat families till he finally landed at the Parker home. How he thought the Parker family was nice at first, but soon realized he was wrong.

It feels like Peter’s life is a cheesy sob story movie that never gets better.

Peter thought back to the turn of events with dread forming in his stomach just at the simple thought.

How one night at the Parker household, Richard Parker was formulating a super serum. Alas, Richard Parker needed someone to test it on. How young Peter, at age 9, was dragged out of bed, sedated and forced onto a cold sterile table.

Peter shivered, thinking of the cold needles, the clipboard. He was patient number one. How he was brutally experimented on, how there a mistake, a mix up with a spider and Oscorp, how he emerged adhesive and with super strength.

At _ten years old_.

How when Richard and Mary Parker died in a plane crash, apathetic feelings swirled within him like a tornado. Peter didn’t realize it was abuse till years later, it was ingrained in his head. He wasn’t worth it. He needs to be better. Like Captain America or Iron Man, his “father” would say.

How at age 13, when Mexican immigrants were being threatened by the inequitable legality of America, he hacked into government files, and renamed himself, edited his past, how he acted in fear.

How he lived in fear.

How he went to his elementary school in the suburbs, feeling out of place with his scuffed shoes and brown skin. How his pale classmates would stare at him, cocked heads, wondering who this new, different looking boy was.

How he suppressed his Spanish- pretending he didn’t speak it in class purely as a result of his paranoia, his light accent, his culture in fear of his identity.

How he didn’t belong. He hasn’t, he doesn’t, he won’t ever.

Peter sighed heavily.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Another chapter for y'all. Thanks for all the love from the kudos and comments! :)) They really made my day. This chapter is some Thor and Peter bonding, so Peter isn't so sad! 
> 
> Also, proceed with caution, there are some "Thor Raganarok" spoilers, near the end-ish. If you need to avoid these, stop reading at warning (it's pretty evident lol). Once you see the warning, just skip down to the end notes to get a summary of what you missed (it's really minor the spoilers are just a filler for the plot of the chapter)

Peter sighed, wiped his nose, and took a deep breath.

“I probably look like a mess.” He murmured under his breath. Bringing up bad memories is never a good idea..

He looked down at himself, face contorting as he realized he was too distracted with his depressing sob story to change out of his suit. The usual trademark blue and red was ragged, smeared with dirt, and speckled with red spots he really hoped wasn’t blood. Knowing himself, it _probably_ was though.

Peeling off his suit, he examined his injuries. Deep purple bruises were mottled across his collarbone and jaw, some drifting into a poetic shade of yellow. He cocked his head and looked at his reflection, broken and bruised. Just like his times in the foster care system..

Peter’s mind wandered back to his rough childhood, one where he was more of a punching bag than a human. Peter shook his head, trying to rid of the intrusive thoughts provoking his increasing anxiety.

Nobody, not even May, knew about the pain he suffered in foster care. And he'd like to keep it that way, thank you very much. 

That was about when Peter started losing hope, when all families saw was a little brown mute boy who was perfect to use as a coping mechanism, or to do their dirty work. The perfect victim and scapegoat to blame everything on.

When he met Tony, his hope reignited, the Tony Stark chose him, a _nobody_ , to help to defeat Captain America. They grew closer, and Peter longs for a  ~~father figure~~ mentor, someone he can rely and talk to. 

Peter longs to spill his guts to Mr.Stark, to cook him pupusas and tamales he learned how to make as a child, to confide in him, to have someone to talk to about how Peter is undocumented and how Peter is _scared_.

The other part of Peter tells him it’s too dangerous, what if Tony wants to rid of immigrants in America? What if he doesn’t trust Peter after he’s lied to him? What if Tony was just like the others?

And besides, talking about his immigration would mean talking about his time is the foster care system and his time at the Parker household, and that is not on the top of Peter’s to-do list.

Peter just hopes he isn’t a burden to him.

Peter is tired.

Not just “Wow it’s getting a little late” kind of tired but “Omigod I hate life, I want to cry” kind of tired. The worst kind. Everyone expects so much out of Peter, and they barely even know him. Why? Because Peter is a fake, who doesn’t belong here according to every single pendejo on the street, or on the news, or even in the fucking Avengers (cough, Steve, cough).

So, for once, Peter let himself cry. Just a little bit, not too much, not too little. He cried, and it felt good.

He gazed at his reflection once again, trails of tears clung to his face, eyes wide and blown. His usual curly mop of brown hair was oily and bedraggled. He stepped into the shower, letting the scalding hot water wash over him as he scrubbed himself clean

Peter Parker is a painting of purple, a sculpture of limbs, a scripture of anguish. Plain Peter Parker. He seemed to be too much, or too little. Just never enough.

Never enough.

Pedro Perez is an enigma to world, a simple common name. But the name always tells the story, doesn’t it?

Pedro Perez is the one who was forgotten, a whisper in the wind, a legacy, almost. Pedro Perez is dying. Lost in the dark.

Peter was clinging on to his memories of being Pedro, but he was grasping something he can _never fully reach_.

No one has ever genuinely asked him if he is truly doing okay. Sometimes Peter forgets that people don’t really care about him, that he shouldn’t expect things like “how are you doing?” or “hey I just wanted to let you know I really appreciate you”.

His friends, Ned and MJ, worried for him recently, as he grew more distressed with the new president. He told them it was fine, and they let it go.

A part of him wished they pushed more, wishing anyone would push a bit more.

He sighed, he loved being here with the Avengers and Mr. Stark, but it wasn’t home. When he came, eager eyed and with a smile on his face, he thought it would be like a family. He’s never had a true family besides his real family and May (who wasn’t always there due to her prolonged work hours).

Even, May, whom he loved so dearly, didn’t fully understand. He didn’t expect her to.

What is a family? Peter has yet to find out. He thinks a family is what he had when he was little, in Guanajuato. With soft spoken poems and songs in Spanish sung to him, with his dearest abuela teaching him how to cook, with his Mamá y Papá hugging him every night and spoiling him even though they couldn’t afford it. Family was what he had till one of the deadliest hurricanes annihilated his town, he couldn’t find any of his family members, he was stranded. But yet, the new community he found, saw hope and liveliness in him. They raised money for months, and shipped him off to a fresh start in America. They had hope. That was family.

He didn’t feel that anywhere else. Most definitely not with the Avengers.

As the days drifted by, Peter was not given the validation he craved, his pure delight and excitement of being with the Avengers diminished. They treated him with hostility and coldness.

Peter exhaled the breath he was unconsciously holding in as he shut off the water and wrapped himself in a towel.

“ _Estoy bien_.” Peter tried to reassure himself, it didn’t particularly work. He threw on some sweats and sat on the burgundy couch in the corner of his room.

_breathe in, breathe out. breathe in, breathe out, repeat._

So the question is, who is he? Peter? Pedro? Peter Perez? Pedro Parker?

A knock on the door effectively pulled Peter out of his existential-crisis, his head shot up abruptly as panic set in. Who was it?

Peter blinked as a familiar body lumbered through the doorway. Well. He was not expecting him, of all people.

“Thor?”

Thor smiled and boomed, “Hello young Man of Spider! I have brought sustenance and a pair of ears ready to listen!”

Peter searched Thor’s face incredulously, was this some kind of joke? Sure enough, Thor was holding two steaming mugs of hot chocolate and what looked like- a half eaten pop tart?

Peter stopped questioning the antics of each Avenger a long time ago…

Peter half-heartedly smiled and hesitantly slid his body to right, effectively making room for the mighty thunder god.

Thor sat down and put a hand on Peter’s shoulder, Peter flinched in return. Thor paid no mind, handing him the hot chocolate. Peter propped his head on his knees, looking straight at the wall.

“I wanted to apologize to you, young Spiderling.” Peter whipped his head towards Thor, an incredulous look upon his face. Well, that’s a first. His evening was getting weirder and weirder.

Peter’s voice was small. “But, but why? You haven’t done anything.”

“Exactly, Man of Spider. I have done nothing.”

“When Tony came and introduced you as the newest Avenger, I thought, but this Spider-ling is so small and puny! How could he ever become an Avenger?”

Peter sighed, and looked down. Thor’s voice grew softer.

“I soon realized though, that you have something that none of us “Avengers” have.”

Thor continued, “You have true compassion and courage. I see a warrior within you, young Peter! I see you come home from school, with bruises inflicted by your puny classmates, I see you fake a smile that- even if you don’t believe it- becomes contagious! You have given all of us something we haven’t experienced in a while, yet none of us have recognized what you’ve done, and we have given you nothing but the cold shoulder in return. I see how we all underestimate you.”

Peter didn’t believe it. He looked up at Thor, wide eyes and mouth agape. Thor continued on with his pep talk.

“You know, even myself, the worthy god of thunder, have felt loneliness.” Thor took a bite of his poptart, and looked at Peter, as if waiting for encouragement.

Peter gasped dramatically- “No way, you, the worthy God of Thunder?” Thor nodded his head empathetically.

“When I first came to Midgard, I felt I didn’t belong. My peers treated me with indifference, thinking I was stupid, even though I had the wisdom of living thousands of years. They treated me differently just because I came from another place and wasn’t used to your strange, strange, Midgardian culture.”

Peter nodded, he understood how that felt.

“For a while, no one made an effort to help me adapt. I felt alone. But soon, I met people who helped me learn humility, and I became the person who I am now.” Thor broke into an exuberant smile, Peter smiled back.

“That’s wonderful, Thor.”

“Indeed, now I think you, Peter Parker, need your support as well as the newest Avenger! What do you say?”

Peter smiled shyly, happiness blooming in his stomach.

“I think a little support wouldn’t hurt.”

Thor broke into a gaping smile, and pressed Peter against him in an enormous hug. Peter winced, stiff and unexpecting but gently patted him on the back.

“Hey Thor? Buddy? I kinda can’t really breathe.” Peter wheezed from his place in Thor’s shoulder.

“Ah apologies, youngling.”

They sat in silence for a bit, Thor finishing off his poptart, and Peter just smiling, happy he made a friend here.

Peter stifled a yawn.

“Hey Jarvis? What time is it?” Peter asked.

“It is currently 2:24 AM, October 27, Saturday, Master Peter.”

“Mother-hugger, it’s late. No wonder I’m so tired. Thank God I don’t have school tomorrow.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Peter looked at Thor.

 

***SPOILERS BELOW FOR THOR:RAGNAROK- PROCEED TO END OF CHAPTER NOTES***

 

“Hey Thor, if you don’t mind me asking, how’d you lose your eye?”

“No one has asked me about this yet! T’is a lengthy tale of courage, do you want to hear it?”

“Yeah, sure.” 

“Well, it all started few years back, after the defeat of Ultron, I was plagued with dreams of my city, Asgard, being destroyed. I knew it was a sign.”

Peter yawned, eyes drooping. “A sign for what.” He mumbled, Peter’s head dropped onto Thor’s shoulder. Thor looked fondly upon him.

“T’was a sign I needed to go back to Asgard. Thus, I did and found my brother, Loki, was masquerading as my father to dictate and rule Asgard. My father, Odin, was missing. Loki and I searched for him, coming to Midgard to find him. We did, eventually, but his time was near and he passed away in mere minutes.”

Peter looked down, “I’m so sorry, Thor.”

“Do not be sorry.” Thor patted his head offhandedly.

“After his passing, Hela, the Goddess of Death, and my long lost, secret, sister came to us. She attacked us, Loki and I gave valiant attempts to defeat her, but her power was too strong. I hurled Mjolnir at her, and she caught it, destroying it with a flick of her wrist! Quickly, I commanded Loki to summon a portal, for us to escape, for I knew we would be vanquished by Hela. He created one and-” Thor’s boisterous voice faltered, as light snores finished his sentence.

Thor bemusedly looked down at the lump of warmth sleeping beside him, trapping him upon his spot on the sofa. He chuckled with amusement, placing a blanket upon them both.

Thor’s soon sleepiness betrayed him, condemning him to the same fate as Peter. His eyes drooped and soon enough- much louder snores erupted from Thor, their snoozing in unison.

Minutes passed as the pair slept peacefully, passed out from pure exhaustion. Suddenly, unawares to them, Tony Stark approached the door.

“Peter? Are you there? I wanted to talk to you,” He tapped his foot, impatient.

“Peter…. Peter Peter Peter? Parker, Peter! I know you’re there?”

No response.

“Ugh, kid. I just want to apologize.”

“Underoos?”

“Fine! If you’re gonna be that way, I’m just coming in.” Tony barged into the room, scanning his eyes for Peter till his eyes caught sight of them sleeping on the sofa. Tony almost cooed at the sight, his previous anger quickly lessening.

“Priceless! This is priceless! Gotta document this real quick..” Tony whipped out his Stark phone, documenting the rare sight of the sleeping friends.

Putting away the phone, Tony smiled at them.

Thor was sitting straight on the sofa, head tilted on top of Peter’s-snoring loudly. Peter was slumped on Thor, head on his shoulder, a blanket covering both their laps. Peter lightly snored as a little bit of drool came out of his mouth.

They looked so peaceful, he didn’t want to wake Peter up.

Tony sighed, this kid was making him go soft, he swears. He straightened his tie, and turned around heading towards the door, heading down to his lab. There were things to do, unfortunately.

He was on his way, mid step, when red flashing lights surrounded him and aggravating horns erupted in his ears.

He froze, and swiveled his head to the cause.

The emergency alarm has gone off, SHIELD has provoked the emergency protocol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the summary of the rest of the chapter: 
> 
> Thor tells Peter about his adventure in Thor Ragnarok, and Peter falls asleep in the middle of it. It's very fluffy, and Thor soon falls asleep as well. Tony barges in to talk to Peter and finds them, all sleepy and cute, and takes a picture. He heads out of the room and then the emergency alarm goes off! Meaning, SHIELD has provoked the emergency protocol...
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading! Leave a comment or kudos cuz I'm greedy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!! An update! I am really sorry it took so freaking long. Now, I can't promise that I'll update fast and consistently in the future but I'll try my best. Also, thank you all so much for your kind comments. I cannot emphasize how much I appreciate it! Also, I made a few edits to the two previous chapters, not very significant, but feel free to reread if you want to. 
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Peter woke up with one feeling pulsing through his body- panic. _Pure panic._ He frantically looked around, eyes blown wide and neck swivelling wildly for an intruder or any sign of danger. His breathing grew faster and faster by the second.

His spidey-senses were warning him, as another frenzy of unexpected roll of dread assaulted his senses. Thor was beside him, snoozing perfectly soundly. _What was wrong?_

“Jarvis, what time is it?” Peter asked, hesitant but his blatant alarm seeped through his words, albeit rushed.

“Young sir, the time is-” Jarvis’s was abrasively suspended by flashing red lights- a deafeningly loud blaring horn entered the room.

Peter’s hands whipped up to his ears instantly, his breaths quickening rapidly. A rush of hysteria overcame him.

“Jarvis? Jarvis?? What’s happening?” Peter’s voice cracked, something was wrong- his spidey-senses were going haywire. Too much input, too little time.

 _panic. panic. panic. in, out. in, out. he trembled, overwhelmed by the slight sensory overloa_ d.

The horn was immensely amplified due to his super hearing, his brain uncontrollably panicking, he was almost hyperventilating now. Colors flashed before his eyes.

No answer from Jarvis.

Beside him, Thor finally stirred. Confusion entered his eyes instantly, flitting around the room. His eyes landed on Peter, in his evident panic-stricken state. Thor grabbed him and pulled him off the sofa, rapidly walking them of the room.

“Young spider-ling, the emergency SHIELD protocol has been awakened- we need to meet our other Avengers in the family room immediately.”

Peter nodded, and complied, dazed and dizzy, following the God of Thunder promptly. He was too overwhelmed to think properly.

They entered the family room together, obviously interrupting a discussion on the couch. Immediately the eyes of all the Avengers diverted to Peter. He shifted awkwardly, taking his hands off his ears and wincing at the incessant ringing in his years.

Tony, thank the lord, instantly noticed his discomfort and commanded Jarvis to shut off the alarm- “J, mute.”

Peter sighed in relief, shoulders slackening, easing into the environment. He muttered softly, “ _Muchas gracias Señor Star_ k.”

The Avengers abruptly stopped their conversation once again to stare at him incredulously.

Clint rose an eyebrow. “ _Kid, you just spoke in Spanish._ ” Peter snapped out of his funk real quick. He sucked in a breath, mentally scolding himself. How could he endanger his identity like this? This was bad. He desperately scrambled for an excuse.

“Oh, um, yeah, sorry about that-I’ve j-just been trying to practice my Spanish recently for my Spanish class at school.”

Natasha eyed him hesitantly. “You’re not fluent?”

“Oh, no- I wish. I’m not very good at Spanish, so I’ve been practicing.”

Peter took a breath and forced himself to butcher his native language, adding in a few horrific grammar errors and adopting his New York accent simultaneously.

“Or should I say- _yo no bueno a españo_ l?” Peter winced at his own pronunciation and lack of wording.

The Avengers winced as well. Well then. Tony laughed at him awkwardly, “Ha, yeah, sorry to say it kid, but you’re terrible at Spanish. You just said “I no good to Spanish?”

Peter “laughed it off”, relieved. Yeah, his secret was safe. Who cares about his reputation with the Avengers anyways? I mean they love him so much already!

Peter frowned at his train of thought, gazing around. Wasn’t it some kind of emergency protocol? Shouldn’t they be doing something? His teammates all looked on edge, like they were about to spill a secret. What was up?

He cleared his throat and tapped his foot lightly on the ground, interrupting the non-existent fluidity of their mutterings.

“Uh-shouldn’t we be doing something- isn’t it some sort of SHIELD emergency?”

They all gazed at him like he was stupid. Of course, silence resided.

“I agree with young Peter, what is ailing SHIELD? What has gone wrong?”

Clint’s eyebrow was raised, his stature was tense, but all his facial expression alluded was slight discomfort. His hands were clenched tightly, his nose flared.

Natasha, on the other hand, showed no emotion on her face, just a general look of indifference. If Peter had paid more attention, he would have noticed her fiddling her thumbs, restlessly.

Steve, looked perturbed, but nowadays, it seemed like he always looked like that.

He turned his attention to Tony, who was evidently pissed. Looking at Mr. Stark closer, his worry lines were defined, his eyebrows furrowed, and his mouth opening and closing like he was thinking through his words.

What could’ve possibly rendered the Tony Stark speechless?

Clint started speaking, “There.. there was an attack. HYDRA, it’s-it’s bad. We thought, after the Accords, HYDRA was gone.”

He looked down, “We were wrong”.

The Avengers knowingly looked at each other, as if they were silently discussing who was going to spill a secret.

Peter sighed, exasperated. “What is it?”

Tony rubbed his hands against each other anxiously. “Kiddie, we think they’re after you.”

Natasha bored her eyes into him. “We know they’re after you.”

Peter paled, nervously scratching the insides of his hands. Thor put a hand on his shoulder. _After him? Some weird spider-boy?_

“W-hat? Why would they be after me?”

“They left a file, knowingly. For some reason, they want us to be following them. Take a look at it..” Steve said, handing him a brown, beat up, folder.

Peter mouth went dry as he read the small print, “Operation Spider”. He flipped open the folder, inside laid photos, multiple of Peter. Grainy pictures of him in the Parker household, in school, at the Avengers Tower. Panic rushed through Peter in a hazy whirlwind, what if they knew?

He read out loud the analysis slowly.

“ ~~~~Peter Parker. Age 16. Assets: Super Strength (to be tested), Enhanced Reflexes (to be tested), Increased Stamina (to be tested), Increased Speed (to be tested), Heightened Senses, “Spidey-Sense” (to be tested), Nearing Genius IQ (to be tested). Liabilities: With Avengers, Inexperienced. Cause of inhuman abilities: Radioactive Spider mixed with DNA.”

The sour taste of bile rose up in his throat, he forced it back down. His vision blurred, his heart racing.

To be tested? Not again. _not again_. Never again. Cold memories of Richard Parker’s experimenting rose to his mind, he gagged.

_breathe in, out. he is okay. he is okay. he is okay. he is okay. it will be okay. it’s not gonna happen._

His voice was shaky. “How do they know all this?”

“Aye, they must have been watching you for a while.” Thor’s voice was much softer than usual, he noted.

He gazed back up at the abnormally sympathetic expressions on the Avengers. “What are we going to do?” He tried his best to keep his voice steady, failingly.

“SHIELD, when they were infiltrated today, at 2:48AM, Fury, the damn guy, well, Eyepatch stuck a tracker on one of Hydra’s agents.” Tony half-heartedly smiled.

Peter tapped his foot on the ground. “And?”

“They’re in Mexico, for some reason, some small town called “Guanajuato?”. I don’t know why they’re residing there, but it’s not a good sign.”

“Guanajuato?” Peter whispered meekly.

_they know. they know. they know. they know. they know who he is. they could hurt mj, ned, aunt may, they could deport him. he didn’t belong here. he is illegal. an immigrant. the avengers will find out. what if they hate him? he lied to them. he doesn’t belong here._

Peter’s breathing increased, panic running through his body. _Respirar, respirar._

Tony continued on, “SHIELD is in bad shape, I sent damage control there, for special circumstances. Fury is, well, he’s not doing so well. Seething actually, he got shot twice and somehow he’s still alive.. The rest of the agents, they’re not in good shape. Coulson..” He faltered, glazed look in his eyes.

Steve intercepted- “He’s in a coma.”

Tony rambled on, “The whole system was bugged with viruses, I can’t even get through now. They’re planning something. And in Mexico, apparently.”

Peter’s face whitened as pale as a sheet. His mind buzzing with unanswered questions and theories.

Steve stood up abruptly and cleared his throat. “They’re warning us. We know they want us in Mexico for some reason and last time they baited us and we didn’t come- they bombed a city. Planted a seed into a small town, and it flourished. People died. We need backup and we need to go to Mexico. Stay undercover there for a while.”

The rest of the team was skeptical, Peter included. He rose an eyebrow. 

_no, no , no. back to guanajuato? government could exploit him, he doens't belong here, he'll have to go back there forever. oh-no. oh-no._

Steve caught their gazes. Tony sighed, almost as if he was giving up on his integrity.

Natasha spoke up “I actually agree with Rogers on this one. Look, we leave as soon as possible, this is urgent. We contact the remnants of SHIELD, inform them of our plans- Parker and Stark can work on much needed equipment, and we may be able to extract information this way, undercover.”She firmly stated.

Peter gazed at the team’s reaction; Thor looked like he was pondering over this, Clint looked indifferent and a tad guilty (Peter was guessing about leaving his family again- _what a pendejo_ ), and Tony looked dubious.

_Was this really happening?_

“Yes, but we aren’t exactly discreet are we? Avengers? Undercover? The press will have a blast out of this..” Tony deadpanned, not looking impressed.

“I think we can make it work. HYDRA, they’re not expecting us and I doubt the people of this rural city will recognize us.”

Peter internally scoffed at Cap, “rural city”, he wasn’t wrong, but Peter is betting he knows nothing about Guanajuato, and just assumed that.

Tony’s shoulders were tense, his stance defensive as he continued speaking, “What about Peter? He has school, a life. His aunt?”

Peter nervously clenched his fists, an attempt to stop the shaking of his hands- his fingernails painstakingly pressing into his palm- an unfortunate anxiety tic he adopted. He eyed the Avengers.

Cap seethed, “Look, Tony, we are going to Mexico, it’s the best possible choice. Peter will be safer with us rather than here in the watchful eye of HYDRA- exposed..”

Steve continued on. “Thor- we’ll get you regular clothes, some sunglasses and a haircut. Natasha, perhaps you could dye your hair? Stark, you can completely change your look, Peter has a mask so no one could possibly know him, and Clint, no offense, but I don’t think anyone will recognize you, buddy.”

Peter’s stomach lurched at Steve’s words, this really was happening, wasn’t it?

Clint rolled his eyes playfully but his tone was clipped and cold, “Thanks a lot Rogers”.

Tony clenched his teeth but nodded, “I guess this is happening then.”

Tony looked at Peter, his gaze softening. “Peter, I’ll contact your school, tell them it’s a family emergency and I’ll call your Aunt as well.”

“Okay” Peter responded softly. He noted how no one actually asked if this was okay with him, but he’s sure they’re just all in shock, _right_? They care..

Were all the Avengers missions like this? Rash, impulsive and awkward…

Peter shifted his weight, clearly uncomfortable.

“Are we calling for backup? T’Challa, Banner, Barnes, Wilson, Lang?” Natasha inquired, eyebrow raised (Peter didn’t miss how her eyes lit up as she cooly said “Banner”).

Steve perked up, but slowly deflated, as if he were a balloon out of air. “I think we should keep this down low for now, out of the press’s eye. They all have immense obligations elsewhere anyways.” Steve faltered.

Thor reassuringly placed his hand on Peter’s shoulder, somehow sensing his distress. Peter shot him a weary smile.

“Okay, well it’s like 3 am, let’s try and get some sleep. We’ll leave with the Quinjet tomorrow at noon, so you will all have a few hours to pack and prepare yourselves, also, Stark, Peter, would you also work on supplies and weapons for the mission?” Steve declared.

Peter frowned, weapons? By tomorrow? At 3 am? Did Steve realize how much that was to ask for? He looked over at Tony, who was evidently exhausted and overworked. Peter waited for his response.

Tony exhaled, “Sure, Cap, no problem.”

_Why was Mr.Stark dealing with all of this alone?_

Steve gave them both a warm smile (at least compared to his usual expressions). “Ok, team. I’ll see you all tomorrow morning.”

Everyone hastily nodded and departed back to their bedrooms. Peter ran his fingers through his unruly curly hair, walking slowly back to his room. It was a lot to take in.. They knew, they could exploit him.

Should he tell the team? Part of Peter argued yes, he should tell them! He could get it over with, and they would be able to help him.

But, the other half of Peter was fearful. What if the Avengers hate him even more? What if they deport him? What if they don’t trust him? So many what-ifs. All filled with fear, and prolonging anxiety.

_anxiety seemed to always win him over. well, more like overwhelm him until his strength diminishes._

He breathed in deeply, rubbing his eyes drowsily. He was tired, but he knew he wouldn’t be getting any sleep- not with the current circumstances.

“Peter, kid?” Tony’s voice startled Peter, as he jumped at the noise. He turned around to see the fatigued and concerned expression of Mr.Stark.

Peter’s voice was much softer in comparison. “Hey Mr. Stark. What’s up?” Tony grimaced at the pure lack of usual energy in Peter’s voice. He sounded so damn tired these days.

“You wanna join me in the lab? We can get started on the upgrades..” Tony faltered. “I mean unless you want to sleep, but, I don’t think you’ll sleep to well, knowing you Underoos.”

Peter rolled his eyes but smiled at the nickname, “Sure, sounds good Mr. Stark.”

Tony playfully punched his arm, Peter suppressed his flinch. “And no more “Mr. Stark”, I’m not that old, kiddie. Come on, let’s go.”

Peter obediently followed ~~Mr.Stark~~ Tony into the elevator, Tony cocking his head and looking at Peter, as if he was analyzing every inch of him. Peter glanced away, uncomfortable.

“Okay Jar, take us to my lab.” Tony said noncommitedly, drumming his fingers on the elevator, clearly impatient.

Peter immediately whipped his head up, Tony’s _private_ lab?? I mean, sure, Peter’s been in plenty of other labs with Tony, usually working on Spidey stuff or just goofing around- but never Tony’s private lab..

Peter knew how special and significant Tony’s lab was to him, he only let few people in, and rarely.. The edges of Tony’s mouth curved up slightly, eyes twinkling with mirth as the doors beeped and opened to his lab.

Peter walked in and stopped abruptly, gazing in utter awe of the lab.. It was any scientists or engineer’s dream, _candyland, heaven_! He laughed in jubilance. “ _Wow_.” He slid his fingertips across the shiny machinery.

“Alright Jarvis, dear, could you pull up the specs for all the Avengers?” Blue holograms appeared around them, Tony carelessly swiped through them, as Peter timidly looked around, wonder shining in his eyes.

Tony clapped his hands together, beaming at Peter, “Well, let’s get to work, shall we?”

They sat side by side, on stools, tinkering away.

Peter, fully immersed into his work, seemed to forget about his surroundings. His neck craning down on Widow’s bite, as he pieced it together.

Tony, occasionally, would look down upon Peter fondly, and well, Tony would be lying if he said that he didn’t feel overcome by a mixture of pride and protectiveness at the kid. A surge of warmth emerged in Tony.

Hours passed, Peter having finished Widow’s bite, was currently upgrading the web fluid and web shooters.

They were still going strong, albeit Peter’s drooping eyelids and frequent yawns. Both were engaged by their tasks at hand.

“Peter, you should probably try and get some sleep.” Tony murmured, not looking up from Barton’s new arrows.

No response. “Pete?”

Tony craned his head at Peter, and smiled fondly at his sleeping form over his web shooters. Peter was slumped over, screwdriver still in hand. His mouth was wide open, soft snores coming from him.

Tony affectionately swept the hair on Peter’s face to one side, unbelievably gentle. “Jeez, kid. I’m going soft, it’s your fault!”

He huffed, wrapping his arms around Peter and picking him up. He didn’t weigh much, he clung onto Tony.

“Jarvis, remind me to feed this kid more. He’s too light. _Oh!_ Also, remind me to get more Super Fudge Chunk Ice Cream for Peter. We just ran out.”

Tony carded his fingers through his hair. “ _Aw man, when did I sign up to be a dad?”_ He protested, while carefully putting Peter onto the couch and putting a blanket on him.

“Night Peter.” Affection seeped through the two words, as Tony sighed and returned back to his work.

Tony would be lying if he said he didn’t then proceed to allow Peter access to his private lab anytime and inform Jarvis to protect Peter at all costs necessary.

Well, maybe not in those words, but the sentiments all the same. Tony Stark would probably do anything for that kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an author's note, I know that some characters may seem out of character or different, and I truly apologize for that. Just keep in mind, that this Peter Parker is not the same as depicted in the movies, you know? This set of characters that I created (okay not created, just wrote about) may have different experiences than canon, so they will not be the same. Especially, Peter Parker. He isn't as eager-eyed or excited as the one shown in the movies. He's gone through a lot, but he does still preserve that spirit, just not so awed at the Avengers. 
> 
> Also, I am aware that I really glossed over what happened after CA:CW, and I am also very sorry about that. In this story, I interpreted it as I wished. In this fic, after CA:CW, Tony started having dreams and awakenings, warnings of what is to come. Similar to Wanda's vision to him in Ultron, but instead showing Thanos, or HYDRA. Destroying the people he loves. He was frightened, and hesitantly brought together the Avengers (with Peter) as a precaution. He realized that the world needed the Avengers. Of course, it didn't go too smoothly because you know, the rogue Avengers are criminals soo they obviously had to meet with law officials, come to an agreement, sign the accords etc. As a result, team relations are *very* tense. 
> 
> For my own plot convenience, Bucky is in cryo treatment, with T'Challa watching over him. Scott, didn't want to become entwined with the Avengers anymore, so he went back to apologize to his family and all. Rhodey is busy with recovery. Banner is working for science-y stuff. Vision and Wanda are on "vacation". I realize these are bad excuses, and I am truly sorry that I am not including them in the story bc I love them too! It's just, the MCU is a lotta work, and I had to remove these characters in order for the plot to run smoothly. And this fic is mostly about Peter anyways. Thank you all for understanding. 
> 
> If anyone has any questions, suggestions, comments, or anything- please leave a comment- I LOVE hearing from you all. :)) Thanks so much. Hope you like it!


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